Tag Archives: Costume

With the opening of the Virgen de Guadalupe exhibit in December 2015, it was important to create a display to reflect the religious figure and the culture. Unfortunately for my oldest sister, she had to undergo knee surgery and would not be able to participate in the Virgen de Guadalupe festivities. However, this led her into letting us borrow and showcase the Matachine skirt she wears for the ritual dance in honor of the Virgen de Guadalupe.

Catrina Display located in the Museum Store.

Los Matachines de Durango is a group of danzantes, line dancers sometimes called soldiers. A group of approximately 25 to 30 people perform for the Virgen De Guadalupe each year on Dec. 12, her birthday along with multiple dates around Christmas time. They practice throughout the year to make up new steps for the dance and to teach new dancers who join the group.

Matachines De Durango.

Key elements of the costume consists of the Naguilla, the skirt with the image of “La Virgen de Guadalupe” emblazoned on it, with carrisos, small flutes that create noise while the group dances. The Guaje, similar to a maraca, is carried with the left hand of the danzante and used as a percussive musical instrument to mark time during the dance. The Jara, similar to a wooden bow, is used in the choreography as the instrument that signals the dancers to start dancing or when the Monarca will change a step. Lastly, a red bandana symbolizes a crown.

Naguilla.

Guaje and Jara used in the choreography.

The ritual dance is led by the Monarcas, the captains which consist of three danzantes who stand at the head of the files and coordinate during the dance. El Viejo, the Grandfather, is the dance character who provides order and sometimes comedy in the group, and the dancers look to El Tamborero, the person who plays the large drum and makes up the main dance music for the matachines, to know when to start.

Monaracas.

El Viejo.

El Tamborero.

Danzante honoring La Virgen de Guadalupe.

Guests adoring the Virgen de Guadalupe shrine.

Choreography.

Danzantes lined up.

The Monarca leads and signals the dancers when to start and they all start with honoring La Virgen de Guadalupe. Once the dancers greet and honor La Virgen, the Monarca signals the guests to pass through the lines to also honor and greet her. Once everyone greets La Virgen de Guadalupe, the Monarca signals the danzantes to begin their performance. Each choreographed dance takes between two and four minutes and each one represents a prayer. Each full performance may last from 30 to 60 minutes. This depends on the hostess who requested the Matachines to dance and how much time they want the performance done. During the performance, El Viejo will do his part in keeping the guests entertained with some dance jokes. After the hostess informs the Monarca that the celebration is at an end, the Monarca signals the danzantes to do the last honoring of La Virgen de Guadalupe in order to say goodbye for now and to keep watching over everyone who was there for the celebration.

Come watch the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Association perform a special Mother’s Day procession in honor of the Holy Mother with music, dancing, elaborate costumes and Aztec feather headdresses this evening at 6:30 p.m.

Editor’s Note: Marina is the Visual Manager for the Houston Museum of Natural Science Museum Store.

Need a last-minute costume for our Comic-Con mixer on July 18? No problem! As a connoisseur of procrastination myself, I know that waiting until the last minute to prepare a costume can be as stressful as it is a unique and beautiful catalyst for creating stunning, creative accoutrements.

Copy Man surveying the landscape, forever on the search for those who need rescuing from copy-related emergencies.

Step 2: Pick out clothes that fit your super-identity.I picked what I wore today to work … because I’m a copy writer.

Step 3: Put on clothes from step two.Already on!

Step 4: Put underwear over clothes (bonus points if they also fit your super-identity or are really cute).Sorry, if I had thought about this step before I left the house I would’ve worn cuter underwear.

Step 5: Find large piece of fabric and drape it over your shoulders.Instant cape! Mine’s made from a curtain, fixed together with earbuds.

Step 6: Make a mask out of the paper and string.Feel free to color yours in, but I wanted a more monotone palette.

Bonus step: Create awesome headgear or props with more paper and/or other found objects.

TA-DA! DONE. This took me, like, 15 minutes to put together, so if a friend of yours tries to come up with excuses on how they don’t have time to put a costume together before our Comic-Con Mixer at 7 p.m. on Friday July 18, tell them, “NO EXCUSES!”*

*You don’t have to wear a costume, but they are encouraged! See you Friday!

Copy Man was just a mild mannered copywriter until one day the Houston Museum of Natural Science decided to throw a Comic-Con party.

We’ve all been atwitter over here planning our ghoulish get-ups, and we figured we should share the wealth of in-house costume ideas with you fine folks.

Here are three scientifically inclined costume ideas sure to strike a nerve with any nerd worth their pocket protector.

The Pacific Garbage Patch

Turn a sad thing funny with this easy last-minute costume. Simply wear blue clothing and glue or pin bits of plastic refuse. Bonus? You can inform anyone who asks about the acres of plastic junk floating in the earth’s oceans.

Antimatter

Spending Halloween as antimatter is the scientific equivalent of dressing up as Daria. What could be more misanthropic?

Remember Lost in Space? I don’t, because I wasn’t yet born, but I hear it contained the perfect get-up in “The Anti-Matter Man”: A full black-and-cream jumpsuit. Recreate the look!

Pinky and the Brain

Can you say “couple’s costume”? Pinky and the Brain make a perfect pair, particularly if one of you is a little portly.

Have your own science-themed costume ideas? Share them in the comments or, better yet, show us yourself on Oct. 26!

Harry has spent the last 6 years at Hogwarts uncovering the truth of his past and discovering his monumental role in defeating You-Know-Who, and it’s finally come down to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Harry, Ron, and Hermione have set out to finish the task Dumbledore started: find and destroy Voldemort’s horcruxes. Without his horcruxes, Voldemort can finally be defeated by The Chosen One, putting an end to the epic battle between good and evil that has plagued the wizarding world for decades.

But it’s no easy task. As Voldemort and his followers gain control of the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione face numerous obstacles from curses and hexes to Death Eaters to the sometimes dwindling faith and doubts they have in one another. However, throughout his journey Harry realizes that he has the full support of the wizarding world and is not alone in his quest to stop the Dark Lord once and for all. Witches and wizards around the world are joining together to stop Voldemort and the Death Eaters in their vengeful plot to take over the entire wizarding world.

So, now it’s our turn to show Harry our support! If you’ve been a dedicated follower of The Boy Who Lived from his first year at Hogwarts you can’t stop now!

Come to the Houston Museum of Natural Science on November 18 at 10:30pm for a Harry Potter Midnight Madness premiere party that will surely give Harry Potter fans something to celebrate! With live animal presentations that would make Hagrid proud (although there are no dragons or hippogriffs), tasty treats that would leave the Weasley boys satisfied, and potions demonstrations that even Snape would approve of, you have to be here! And don’t forget about the costume contest complete with fabulous prizes and Harry Potter trivia for the true HP fan to test their knowledge! It’s all happening right here for the 12:01am screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. So where should you be for the beginning of the end? Why the Houston Museum of Natural Science of course!

Here are few details for the Costume Contest:

To enter the costume contest you must arrive, in costume, by 10:45pm to register at the table just inside the main entrance to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Once registered you will receive a number; this is the order in which you will be called before the panel of judges. Each participant will be judged based on the ABC’s of great costumes: Authenticity, Believability and Creativity! Judges will score each participant and we will award the prizes just before the start of the 12:01am movie for each of the winners – Best Adult Male, Best Adult Female, Best Male under 13 years old, Best Female under 13 years old. So dust off your dress robes and we’ll see you at HMNS for the Harry Potter Midnight Madness Costume Contest!